Page 231 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

10884. I see “Turkish Bath Attendants” and I see “Second Steward” marked. Those are on the side of the ship? - Yes, on the outside. 10885. Then I see on the inside, “Two assistant second stewards”? - Yes. 10886. That is your room? - Yes. 10887. You had a mate in your room with you? - Yes. 10888. Was he in the room with you at the time? - Yes, he was in his bunk. 10889. You roused him, I think, did you not? - Yes. 10890. Did he get up and find out what was the matter? - Yes. I asked him if he had heard any noise, and he said “No.” 10891. What deck did you go to? - To E deck. 10892. That would be the deck immediately above you? - Yes. 10893. And what did you learn when you got to E deck? - Well, I met the night watchman. I think his name was Johnson. He told me she was making water badly forward. 10894. Was that man Johnson saved? - Yes. 10895. I think we have had him here as a witness; he is a Scotsman, is he not? - Yes. 10896. You met Johnson? - Yes. 10897. And he told you she was making water forward? - Yes. 10898. Did you go forward yourself? - Yes, I went forward myself. 10899. On the E deck? - Yes, forward on E deck. 10900. And what did you find when you went forward on the E deck? - I went down to the Post Office room, which is down on G. You will find a stairway leading from E down to the Post Office and baggage room. 10901. I want to trace this because I understand this is only a few minutes after the accident? - Ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. 10902. You were on E deck. You go forward? - Yes. 10903. And you go down as low as G deck? - Yes. 10904. Now will you tell me again which is the stairway by which you go down from E deck? - The first stairway leads down to the squash racquet court and then continues on down to the Post Office and baggage room. 10905. Is the stairway immediately aft of the squash racquet court? - No, forward of the squash racquet court. 10906. I thought forward of the squash racquet court was a bunker head? - When you go down to the squash racquet court you turn to the right to get to the squash racquet court. 10907. Is it the stairway which, when you get to G deck brings you close to the Post Office? - Yes. 10908. You went down that stairway? - Yes. 10909. And you think it was about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after you had felt the collision? - About that, I should think. 10910. Now will you tell us what you found when you got down to G deck? - I saw the mail men dragging bags of mail up, which I took to be the registered mail. The water was already on that deck. 10911. It was already on G deck? - Yes. 10912. Did you get down to the actual level of G deck? - Yes, I was on G deck. 10913. You were standing there? - Yes. 10914. Was there water where you were standing? - No, it was just making up the stairs then, just making G deck. 10915. You mean coming up from below, the Orlop deck, to G? - Yes. 10916. Is there a stairway which goes down again from G deck to the deck below? - Yes, but that is behind those stairs. You turn round again to get down the stairs.